Rag Lady by Susie Black

Today, Wild Women Authors features author Susie Black as she celebrates the release of Rag Lady, a current contemporary release out of The Wild Rose Press. In place of the usual character/author interview, Susie has agreed to speak about her writing process.

Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing? I studied a number of  authors to learn timing, comedic skills, how to use my voice, the use of snark, how to make characters zany, but not cartoonish, as well as how far I could take their zaniness, how to make characters irreverent, but not obnoxious, how to use physical comedy in writing, and how to make characters inept, but not stupid. My books feature zany, irreverent, and at times, inept characters. I studied the characters of these authors to create mine and I credit them for the development of my distinct writing style:

Donald E. Westlake is the undisputed King of inept characters. In Jimmy the Kid, Westlake’s career thief, John Dortmunder, and his hapless gang proved that they couldn’t pull off the simplest caper if their lives depended on it.

Tim Dorsey is the master of physical comedic mayhem and zany characters. His series protagonist- local historian and spree killer, Serge A. Storms, is the classic model for taking zaniness to the nth degree. Dorsey’s Hammerhead Ranch Motel is nothing short of laugh-out-loud Southern fried mayhem.

Joan Hess is the Professor Emeritus of poking fun at the hypocrisy of society and people via snark. Her series protagonist, Police Chief Arly Hanks, is the Queen of irreverence and one of the characters I patterned Holly Schlivnik, the protagonist of The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series after. In Miracles in Maggody, Hess spares no one, and gleefully makes mincemeat of the foibles of both good guys and bad guys alike.

Carl Hiaasen is the expert in creating complicated, kooky characters with oddly memorable traits along with a moral compass. Hiaasen’s protagonist Skink in Stormy Weather is who I patterned some of Holly Schlivnik’s quirky personality traits after.

With regard to research, where did you start for this novel? I started my research for this novel by referring to the daily journal I have kept since I started my successful ladies’ apparel sales career. All of the characters in this story are based on people I encountered and chronicled in my journal.

Did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original concept? No. Actually it solidified the original concept of a fictionalized autobiography.

Tell us a bit about your publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them; how is the submission process; what is the turn-around time from date of query to date of release? My publisher is The Wild Rose Press. I heard about them from an author colleague. The Wild Rose Press is owned by two women who were authors before going into publishing. Having a publisher that was female-led and had been authors themselves was a major influence in my submitting to them. As a female who has succeeded in a historically male-dominated industry, it was important to me to write about the apparel business from a woman’s point of view. I was confident this particular publisher would support me in that goal, and they have.

For my initial submission I sent a query letter via their website and was then asked to submit a synopsis and the manuscript to the editor assigned to me for consideration. The turn-around time from date of query to date of release was about ten months.

What are you reading right now? I am reading a hilarious cozy mystery: Margaritas, Mayhem, & Murder-by Mary Cunningham.

What's next for you? I have submitted the manuscript for Death by Jelly Beans, the sixth book in The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, and have been informed that it has been submitted for a contract. I am also working on the first book in a prequel series to The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series. In this new series, the protagonist, Holly Schlivnik, is a high school newspaper reporter who has an uncanny nose for murder. Recently, a sister author colleague and I mapped out a collaborative plot that brings my continuing cast of cozy mystery characters together with her cast of paranormal romance characters. The plot is both a mystery and a paranormal romance. We are quite excited about this.  

To learn more about Susie Black and the stories she creates go to:

www.authorsusieblack.com

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/susieblack.com

Facebook:    https://facebook.com/TheHollySwimsuitMysterySeries

Instagram:   Susie Black (@hollyswimsuit) • Instagram photos and videos

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorsusieblack-61941011

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/hollysusie1_saved/

Twitter:    http://twitter.com/@hollyswimsuit

To purchase Rag Lady, go to:

Book Bub:  Rag Lady (Holly Swimsuit Series Book 1) by Susie Black - BookBub

Goodreads: Rag Lady by Susie Black | Goodreads

Amazon: Amazon.com: Rag Lady (Holly Swimsuit Series Book 1) eBook : Black, Susie : Kindle Store

Barnes & Noble: Rag Lady by Susie Black, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)